As collectors, friends, fans, and supporters of promoting Long Island through artistic expression enjoyed the fine wine, cheese, and desserts offered at the Artist's Reception for Garden City's own Shirley Jessen, everyone raved about the art that graces the walls at the Huntington Arts Council. Shirley Jessen has been in the spotlight for her one woman art shows before, but this show, according to the artist who graciously took time during her reception to speak with Garden City Life, noted that this show is a particular honor in her career, as it has two sponsors, the Huntington Arts Council and the Art League of Long Island. It is rare for an artist's work to have more than one sponsor deem the work worthy not only to be exhibited, but to be supported as hers is now.

The show features some of the artist's personal favorites and was designed by Jessen herself. Most of her works are views of Long Island, which capture a moment or scene in nature or of individuals in serene and contemplative poses. Works such as Flare of Sunset capture the intense reds and oranges found in the sky as the sun sets over Long Island's dunes and hills. Jessen calls her work "hard-edge painting," and says she loves to "charge the painting with the electricity of color." The "saturated" look of the sky is what she says she was inspired by in her sunset piece and feels that color allows her to express her strongest feelings, as well as evoke those viewing the work.

She credits visits to Georgia O'Keefe's husband's gallery while visiting her father's 5th Avenue office in Manhattan with inspiring her as a child. She says the creative energies, "rubbed off" on her and has had her own flower paintings featured in O'Keefe lectures and discussions. She is also quick to point out that while she had been inspired by great artists like O'Keefe and Matisse, her own work represents original thinking on her part and are all one-of-a-kind. She enjoys "expressing [her] joy" through her paintings and demonstrating the drama of a moment. Life depicts a tree outside a classroom which endures the turbulence of life and represents the afflictions which all humans face, but rise above and withstand.

She also notes that she is a fan of art deco, in fact it is her favorite period of design. "I grew up in a classically decorated home with fine rugs and all the sort of things many people would admire, but I always wanted a house decorated in the style of the homes in films I watched at the time, like the French and New York architecture and interior design of the 20's," she noted as she pointed to Art Deco Amaryllis, which is the featured piece on the postcard for the show. One woman at the show shook Jessen's hand and said, "The show is so well designed. You are certainly a designer as well as an artist."

Jessen was featured in Who's Who of American Women from 1973-1993 and Who's Who of American Artists from 1982-2000, and was given a rave review for previous exhibits by David Sherry of The New York Times who called her show A Display of Joy in his headline. She has exhibited at the Salmagundi Club in New York City, Shelter Rock Public Library in Albertson, Water Mill Museum for the Long Island Landmarks exhibit, the Chelsea Center here on Long Island, and was a finalist in an international competition at the Foothills Art Center in Colorado.

Many of her works are done en plain air, or on site in the outdoors as she finds inspiration here on Long Island. She also continues to take classes where she does sketches of live models, who often become the inspiration for later works. For example, a nude sketch on display later became the inspiration for a bikini clad sunbather at the beach who reclines on the sand in an identical pose in another painting on display. She says she always likes to "look for something different," though in the scenes she chooses to paint.

Jessen thanks the teachers who encouraged her talent from the time she was a child drawing on the blackboards in her grade-school classrooms. She received a scholarship to art school after high school and has been working as a professional artist ever since. She says of her talent, "It's a gift -- and I appreciate having it."

The show will be up until August 31. To find the Huntington Arts Council and experience this unique art show personally, take the Northern State Parkway to exit 40N to Huntington. This is Route 110 and will merge with New York Avenue. Continue on New York Avenue all the way (bearing left at the fork in the road which occurs at the outskirts of the Incorporated Village of Huntington) until reaching Main Street. Turn right onto Main Street and continue until reaching the entrance for a municipal lot. Park there and walk up the hill a little until seeing 213 Main Street across the street. This is the Huntington Arts Council's building and the art show is inside. The gallery is open from 9 until 5 p.m. Monday through Friday. For more information, call 741-6332.